Does your research have market potential?

Our 2011-2012 Early Stage Commercialization Fund (ESCF) is underway. Check out the award recipients for the fall round. The spring round deadline is February 10, 2012. Click here to download ESCF details and forms.

The Early Stage Commercialization Fund (ESCF) helps move Nova Scotia university and community college research to market.

If you’re a researcher engaged in life or physical sciences, engineering, computer science or other technology developments with market potential, this opportunity is for you.

Up to $50,000 in funding is available per project.

Funds can be used to assess market potential, develop go-to-market strategies, perform strategic planning, create/update business plans, assist with intellectual property protection strategies, finish proof-of-concept development, build prototypes and leverage of other funds.

ESCF Purpose
ESCF assists and supports the academic community in the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities. The purpose of ESCF is to provide support for projects demonstrating readiness to advance a technology that has achieved, or is close to achieving, a prototype/proof-of-concept stage and is approaching market readiness with a possibility of attracting industry partners and/or investment. The prospect of generating a new revenue stream must also be apparent.

ESCF is supported by Nova Scotia Economic and Rural Development and Tourism. Administration and management of ESCF follow Innovacorp’s approach to technology commercialization and its High Performance Incubation (HPi)™ business model.

ESCF Objectives
• Promote and accelerate technology transfer activities in Nova Scotia post-secondary institutions
• Provide the opportunity to assess the commercial potential of intellectual property
• Narrow the gap that exists at the beginning of the commercialization process, and enable projects to move closer to industry collaboration and/or technology spin-off

Eligibility
Nova Scotia university and community college faculty members, and staff and clinicians at university-affiliated hospitals are eligible to apply. Applications from graduate students and post-doctoral researchers will be considered provided there is a faculty member as co-applicant.

Past Projects
Click here for a list of past ESCF projects.

Inquiries
Innovacorp
1400-1801 Hollis Street
Halifax, NS B3J 3M4
902.424.8670 ext. 1123
escf@innovacorp.ca

Innovacorp is committed to strengthening Nova Scotia’s post-secondary research commercialization capacity and entrepreneurial activities. It has been a strategic priority presented in our annual business plan for the past several years. The Early Stage Commercialization Fund is just one example of our recent efforts in this area. Click here to learn more about Innovacorp's involvement with our universities and colleges.